Pickaxe and Trowel

The same evening Barbicane and his companions returned to Tampa Town; and Murchison, the engineer, re-embarked on board the Tampico for New Orleans. His object was to enlist an army of workmen, and to collect together the greater part of the materials. The members of the Gun Club remained at Tampa Town, for the purpose of setting on foot the preliminary works by the aid of the people of the country.

That same evening, Barbicane and his companions returned to Tampa Town. Murchison, the engineer, boarded the Tampico again and sailed for New Orleans. He went to recruit an army of workers and gather most of the materials. The Gun Club members stayed in Tampa Town to begin the preliminary work with help from local people.

Eight days after its departure, the Tampico returned into the bay of Espiritu Santo, with a whole flotilla of steamboats. Murchison had succeeded in assembling together fifteen hundred artisans. Attracted by the high pay and considerable bounties offered by the Gun Club, he had enlisted a choice legion of stokers, iron-founders, lime-burners, miners, brickmakers, and artisans of every trade, without distinction of color. As many of these people brought their families with them, their departure resembled a perfect emigration.

Eight days after leaving, the Tampico returned to the bay of Espiritu Santo with an entire flotilla of steamboats. Murchison had managed to gather fifteen hundred skilled workers. Drawn by the high pay and generous bonuses offered by the Gun Club, they were a choice legion of workers. They included stokers, iron founders, lime burners, miners, brickmakers, and skilled workers of every trade, without distinction of color. Many brought their families with them, so their departure looked like a full-scale emigration.

On the 31st of October, at ten o’clock in the morning, the troop disembarked on the quays of Tampa Town; and one may imagine the activity which pervaded that little town, whose population was thus doubled in a single day.

At ten o’clock on the morning of October 31, the troop landed at the docks of Tampa Town. One can imagine the bustle in the little town, whose population had doubled in a single day.

During the first few days they were busy discharging the cargo brought by the flotilla, the machines, and the rations, as well as a large number of huts constructed of iron plates, separately pieced and numbered. At the same period Barbicane laid the first sleepers of a railway fifteen miles in length, intended to unite Stones Hill with Tampa Town. On the first of November Barbicane quitted Tampa Town with a detachment of workmen; and on the following day the whole town of huts was erected round Stones Hill. This they enclosed with palisades; and in respect of energy and activity, it might have been mistaken for one of the great cities of the Union. Everything was placed under a complete system of discipline, and the works were commenced in most perfect order.

For the first few days, they unloaded the cargo brought by the flotilla. It included machinery, rations, and many huts made of iron plates, each piece numbered separately. At the same time, Barbicane laid the first railroad ties for a fifteen-mile railway connecting Stones Hill with Tampa Town. On November 1, Barbicane left Tampa Town with a group of workers. By the next day, the entire town of huts had been built around Stones Hill. They enclosed the town with a wooden fence. Its energy and activity might have made it seem like one of the great cities of the Union. Everything was kept under strict discipline, and work began in perfect order.

The nature of the soil having been carefully examined, by means of repeated borings, the work of excavation was fixed for the 4th of November.

After carefully examining the soil through repeated drilling, they scheduled the excavation to begin on November 4.

On that day Barbicane called together his foremen and addressed them as follows: “You are well aware, my friends, of the object with which I have assembled you together in this wild part of Florida. Our business is to construct a cannon measuring nine feet in its interior diameter, six feet thick, and with a stone revetment of nineteen and a half feet in thickness. We have, therefore, a well of sixty feet in diameter to dig down to a depth of nine hundred feet. This great work must be completed within eight months, so that you have 2,543,400 cubic feet of earth to excavate in 255 days; that is to say, in round numbers, 2,000 cubic feet per day. That which would present no difficulty to a thousand navvies working in open country will be of course more troublesome in a comparatively confined space. However, the thing must be done, and I reckon for its accomplishment upon your courage as much as upon your skill.”

That day, Barbicane called his foremen together and addressed them: “You know why I have brought you together in this wild part of Florida, my friends. We must build a cannon with an inside diameter of nine feet and walls six feet thick. It will have a stone lining nineteen and a half feet thick. We must therefore dig a well sixty feet across and nine hundred feet deep. This great work must be finished within eight months. You must excavate 2,543,400 cubic feet of earth in 255 days, or roughly 2,000 cubic feet a day. A thousand laborers would have no difficulty doing this in open country. But the work will be more troublesome in a comparatively confined space. Still, it must be done, and I am counting on your courage as much as your skill to accomplish it.”

At eight o’clock the next morning the first stroke of the pickaxe was struck upon the soil of Florida; and from that moment that prince of tools was never inactive for one moment in the hands of the excavators. The gangs relieved each other every three hours.

At eight o’clock the next morning, the first pickaxe struck the soil of Florida. From that moment on, the excavators never let that prince of tools rest. The crews relieved one another every three hours.

On the 4th of November fifty workmen commenced digging, in the very center of the enclosed space on the summit of Stones Hill, a circular hole sixty feet in diameter. The pickaxe first struck upon a kind of black earth, six inches in thickness, which was speedily disposed of. To this earth succeeded two feet of fine sand, which was carefully laid aside as being valuable for serving the casting of the inner mould. After the sand appeared some compact white clay, resembling the chalk of Great Britain, which extended down to a depth of four feet. Then the iron of the picks struck upon the hard bed of the soil; a kind of rock formed of petrified shells, very dry, very solid, and which the picks could with difficulty penetrate. At this point the excavation exhibited a depth of six and a half feet and the work of the masonry was begun.

On November 4, fifty workers began digging a circular hole sixty feet across. It was in the very center of the enclosed space on the summit of Stones Hill. Their pickaxes first struck a layer of black earth six inches thick, which they quickly cleared away. Beneath it lay two feet of fine sand. They carefully set the sand aside because it would be useful in casting the inner mould. Below the sand was compact white clay, like the chalk of Great Britain. It extended to a depth of four feet. Then the pickaxes struck the hard bed of soil. This was a kind of rock made of petrified shells, very dry and solid, which the picks could barely penetrate. The excavation was now six and a half feet deep, and the masonry work began.

At the bottom of the excavation they constructed a wheel of oak, a kind of circle strongly bolted together, and of immense strength. The center of this wooden disc was hollowed out to a diameter equal to the exterior diameter of the Columbiad. Upon this wheel rested the first layers of the masonry, the stones of which were bound together by hydraulic cement, with irresistible tenacity. The workmen, after laying the stones from the circumference to the center, were thus enclosed within a kind of well twenty-one feet in diameter. When this work was accomplished, the miners resumed their picks and cut away the rock from underneath the wheel itself, taking care to support it as they advanced upon blocks of great thickness. At every two feet which the hole gained in depth they successively withdrew the blocks. The wheel then sank little by little, and with it the massive ring of masonry, on the upper bed of which the masons labored incessantly, always reserving some vent holes to permit the escape of gas during the operation of the casting.

At the bottom of the excavation, they built a wheel of oak. It was a kind of ring, securely bolted together and immensely strong. The opening in the wooden disc was as wide as the outside diameter of the Columbiad. The first layers of masonry rested on this wheel. Their stones were bonded together with hydraulic cement that held them with irresistible strength. The workmen laid the stones from the outer edge inward, enclosing themselves in a kind of well twenty-one feet in diameter. When this work was finished, the miners picked up their tools again and cut away the rock beneath the wheel. As they advanced, they carefully supported the wheel on thick blocks. Each time the hole grew two feet deeper, they removed the blocks one by one. The wheel sank little by little, carrying the massive ring of masonry with it. Masons worked constantly on top of the ring, always leaving vent holes for gas to escape during the casting.

This kind of work required on the part of the workmen extreme nicety and minute attention. More than one, in digging underneath the wheel, was dangerously injured by the splinters of stone. But their ardor never relaxed, night or day. By day they worked under the rays of the scorching sun; by night, under the gleam of the electric light. The sounds of the picks against the rock, the bursting of mines, the grinding of the machines, the wreaths of smoke scattered through the air, traced around Stones Hill a circle of terror which the herds of buffaloes and the war parties of the Seminoles never ventured to pass. Nevertheless, the works advanced regularly, as the steam-cranes actively removed the rubbish. Of unexpected obstacles there was little account; and with regard to foreseen difficulties, they were speedily disposed of.

This kind of work required extreme precision and close attention from the workers. More than one worker was seriously injured by stone splinters while digging beneath the wheel. But their enthusiasm never flagged, night or day. By day, they worked under the scorching sun. By night, they worked by electric light. Picks struck the rock, mines exploded, and machines ground away. Clouds of smoke drifted through the air. Together, these sights and sounds formed a circle of terror around Stones Hill. Neither buffalo herds nor Seminole war parties dared to cross it. Nevertheless, the work progressed steadily as steam cranes quickly removed the debris. There were few unexpected obstacles, and the difficulties they had anticipated were quickly overcome.

At the expiration of the first month the well had attained the depth assigned for that lapse of time, namely, 112 feet. This depth was doubled in December, and trebled in January.

At the end of the first month, the well had reached its planned depth of 112 feet. It reached twice that depth in December and three times that depth in January.

During the month of February the workmen had to contend with a sheet of water which made its way right across the outer soil. It became necessary to employ very powerful pumps and compressed-air engines to drain it off, so as to close up the orifice from whence it issued; just as one stops a leak on board ship. They at last succeeded in getting the upper hand of these untoward streams; only, in consequence of the loosening of the soil, the wheel partly gave way, and a slight partial settlement ensued. This accident cost the life of several workmen.

In February, the workmen had to deal with a sheet of water that flowed across the outer soil. They needed powerful pumps and compressed-air engines to drain it. This allowed them to seal the opening where the water came from, just as one stops a leak aboard ship. They finally brought the troublesome streams under control. But the water had loosened the soil, causing the wheel to give way partly and settle slightly. The accident killed several workmen.

No fresh occurrence thenceforward arrested the progress of the operation; and on the tenth of June, twenty days before the expiration of the period fixed by Barbicane, the well, lined throughout with its facing of stone, had attained the depth of 900 feet. At the bottom the masonry rested upon a massive block measuring thirty feet in thickness, while on the upper portion it was level with the surrounding soil.

Nothing else delayed the work. On June 10, twenty days before Barbicane’s deadline, the well reached a depth of 900 feet. It was lined with stone from top to bottom. At the bottom, the stonework rested on a massive block thirty feet thick. At the top, it was level with the surrounding ground.

President Barbicane and the members of the Gun Club warmly congratulated their engineer Murchison; the cyclopean work had been accomplished with extraordinary rapidity.

President Barbicane and the members of the Gun Club warmly congratulated their engineer, Murchison. The enormous task had been completed with extraordinary speed.

During these eight months Barbicane never quitted Stones Hill for a single instant. Keeping ever close by the work of excavation, he busied himself incessantly with the welfare and health of his workpeople, and was singularly fortunate in warding off the epidemics common to large communities of men, and so disastrous in those regions of the globe which are exposed to the influences of tropical climates.

During these eight months, Barbicane never left Stones Hill for a moment. He stayed close to the excavation work and constantly looked after his workers’ welfare and health. He was remarkably successful in preventing the epidemics common in large groups of men. Such epidemics were especially disastrous in regions with tropical climates.

Many workmen, it is true, paid with their lives for the rashness inherent in these dangerous labors; but these mishaps are impossible to be avoided, and they are classed among the details with which the Americans trouble themselves but little. They have in fact more regard for human nature in general than for the individual in particular.

It is true that many workers paid with their lives for the recklessness inherent in this dangerous work. But such accidents are impossible to avoid, and Americans regard them as details that trouble them little. In fact, Americans have more regard for human nature in general than for any particular individual.

Nevertheless, Barbicane professed opposite principles to these, and put them in force at every opportunity. So, thanks to his care, his intelligence, his useful intervention in all difficulties, his prodigious and humane sagacity, the average of accidents did not exceed that of transatlantic countries, noted for their excessive precautions—France, for instance, among others, where they reckon about one accident for every two hundred thousand francs of work.

Nevertheless, Barbicane held the opposite principles and put them into practice whenever he could. He was careful and intelligent, and he helped resolve every difficulty. Thanks to these qualities and his extraordinary, humane judgment, the accident rate was no higher than in countries across the Atlantic. Those countries were known for taking excessive precautions. France, for example, recorded about one accident for every two hundred thousand francs’ worth of work.